The Glories of Jayananda Prabhu

[Gauracandra]

Since it is Rathayatra season I was wondering if anyone has some nice stories they might like to share regarding Jayananda Prabhu. I found this website in the DragonSearch section of this site:

 

http://homestead.juno.com/vishoka/Jayananda1.html

 

Please share any stories you may have. A Vaisnava never dies because he is the most glorious person. Generations from now devotee great-great-grand children will be telling their grandchildren stories about a beautiful Vaisnava named Jayananda.

 

Gauracandra

[JRdd]

I was just at the Rath festival in San Francisco, this isn't exactly a Jayananda story but I do have a couple, but they are on the website you mentioned. Anyway I was standing there looking up at all the gopis and gopas decorating Subhadra's cart, the one Srila Prabhupada always rode and still does in His deity. I wanted so bad to be up there decorating that cart and just as I was thinking this way the devotee I was standing with called up to them and asked if they needed a hand and for the next hour or so I found myself up there strapping on banan leaves and palm leaves and asparagus fern, etc, tricky to stabilize in the wind that day. On the ground again I was fortunate enough to happen to see them strapping on Jayananda's large picture, next to Srila prabhupada's Vyasasana. This humblest of saints truly still carries the spirit of Rathayatra along the parade. When I think of him my trials seem less. It was a wonderful procession.

Jayananda ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

[Gauracandra]

Here are a few quickies I heard from some senior disciples. I'm not a real good story teller so please overlook my shortcomings. These stories were told during a “Jayananda Night” a few years back, and so are from my memory as best as I can recall.

 

Jayananda Prabhu was known to always be working on the sankirtan vans. As such his clothes got all soiled from the grease and he had oil under his fingernails and on his face. At one point, after working on a vehicle, he walked into the temple room to listen to a lecture by Srila Prabhupada. When he entered the room Srila Prabhupada stopped his lecture and told the entire audience “Just see, Jayananda looks just like Lord Caitanya”. Jayananda blushed purple.

 

Jayananda also hated to spend the temple’s money and as such tended to wear rags for clothes (very worn out clothing with holes and grease stains). At one point a senior devotee told him that all the devotees looked up to him, and as such it wasn’t appropriate to look so unkempt. He told Jayananda to take $30 or so, and go to the store to buy some new clothes. Jayananda refused. Finally, this senior devotee dragged Jayananda to the clothing store. Jayananda tried on a pair of pants and the other devotee said that he should buy them. But Jayananda didn’t want to spend his spiritual masters’s money on himself. So instead he told his friend that they should just try walking out of the store with him wearing them.

 

As they exited a cop pulled him aside. Immediately Jayananda confessed. He said he couldn’t bear to spend his guru’s money, they were beggars and needed the money to pay the rent and facilities. The cop took them to the police station, all the while Jayananda explained that they were poor, with no money, and he couldn’t bear to buy new clothes for himself. The cop brought him before the Judge, and again Jayananda explained his case, fully admitting guilt, but explaining that the devotees were poor, and he couldn’t spend this money on himself when the devotees were barely maintaining their temple. After hearing the whole case, the judge set a fine, and from the back of the court room, the cop who arrested Jayananda, came forward with the money to pay this fine.

 

Once during an all night book distribution marathon, the devotees were getting very tired but everyone wanted to continue pushing forward during this marathon period. Jayananda pulled into a coffee shop and bought a bunch of cups of coffee for the devotees. One devotee asked “Should we offer this coffee to Krsna?” Jayananda said “No way, Krsna doesn’t drink coffee”.

 

Jayananda also brought out the best in every one, inspiring them through his own example. In one case, he made friends with an elderly lady who owned a flower shop. She would always ask “When is the next Janmashtami, Jimmy?” because she like to decorate the deities with flowers.

 

Every year in order to help get the permits for the San Francisco Rathayatra, he would bribe the city commissioners with loads of pies. There was one black lady on the city council who especially like “Jimmy” as he was known to them. One day, another devotee came to the council meeting to get the permits. This black lady asked “Where’s Jimmy?” and she was informed that Jayananda Prabhu had passed away from cancer just recently. The whole city council was so upset that they cancelled the rest of that days proceedings in his memory.

 

Anyways, I hope I told these well enough. Please feel free to add any that you have heard.

 

Gauracandra

 

 

[JRdd]

Not so much nectar from me but I do love the story of when Jayananda packed a few of us into a van and took us on an outing for the day up to Naranarayana prabhu's land, felt very familyish, and Jayananda was always so fatherly, and on the return trip he saw a persimmon tree, stopped the van, got out, offered the whole tree to Krsna so that everyone would benefit, then brought back in a large brown paper shopping bag filled with plump fruits oozing sweetness, and I ate them all the way back to the temple. I have loved persimmons ever since. Almost as much as I love Jayananda.

 

Jayaradhe

[weallshineon]

Reading this is a breath of fresh air, there is so much mundane speculation on this forum at the moment.

 

GET BACK TO THE NECTAR OF SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM WHICH IS THE CREAM OF ALL THE VEDAS

[suchandra]

 

Reading this is a breath of fresh air, there is so much mundane speculation on this forum at the moment.

 

GET BACK TO THE NECTAR OF SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM WHICH IS THE CREAM OF ALL THE VEDAS

 

Jayananda Prabhu was known to always be working on the sankirtan vans. As such his clothes got all soiled from the grease and he had oil under his fingernails and on his face. At one point, after working on a vehicle, he walked into the temple room to listen to a lecture by Srila Prabhupada. When he entered the room Srila Prabhupada stopped his lecture and told the entire audience “Jjust liust see, Jayananda looks ke Lord Caitanya”. Jayananda blushed purple.

Prabhupada said this only at the initiation ceremony.

http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/681201IN.LA.htm

Next, when Prabhupada gave class, Jayananda prabhu was attending the class from beginning and not entering the class right in the middle what Prabhupada never would have approved. Whenever Prabhupada gave class, everyone attended from the beginning.

[Virakrsna]

 

Here are a few quickies I heard from some senior disciples. I'm not a real good story teller so please overlook my shortcomings. These stories were told during a “Jayananda Night” a few years back, and so are from my memory as best as I can recall.

 

Jayananda Prabhu was known to always be working on the sankirtan vans. As such his clothes got all soiled from the grease and he had oil under his fingernails and on his face. At one point, after working on a vehicle, he walked into the temple room to listen to a lecture by Srila Prabhupada. When he entered the room Srila Prabhupada stopped his lecture and told the entire audience “Just see, Jayananda looks just like Lord Caitanya”. Jayananda blushed purple.

 

Jayananda also hated to spend the temple’s money and as such tended to wear rags for clothes (very worn out clothing with holes and grease stains). At one point a senior devotee told him that all the devotees looked up to him, and as such it wasn’t appropriate to look so unkempt. He told Jayananda to take $30 or so, and go to the store to buy some new clothes. Jayananda refused. Finally, this senior devotee dragged Jayananda to the clothing store. Jayananda tried on a pair of pants and the other devotee said that he should buy them. But Jayananda didn’t want to spend his spiritual masters’s money on himself. So instead he told his friend that they should just try walking out of the store with him wearing them.

 

As they exited a cop pulled him aside. Immediately Jayananda confessed. He said he couldn’t bear to spend his guru’s money, they were beggars and needed the money to pay the rent and facilities. The cop took them to the police station, all the while Jayananda explained that they were poor, with no money, and he couldn’t bear to buy new clothes for himself. The cop brought him before the Judge, and again Jayananda explained his case, fully admitting guilt, but explaining that the devotees were poor, and he couldn’t spend this money on himself when the devotees were barely maintaining their temple. After hearing the whole case, the judge set a fine, and from the back of the court room, the cop who arrested Jayananda, came forward with the money to pay this fine.

 

Once during an all night book distribution marathon, the devotees were getting very tired but everyone wanted to continue pushing forward during this marathon period. Jayananda pulled into a coffee shop and bought a bunch of cups of coffee for the devotees. One devotee asked “Should we offer this coffee to Krsna?” Jayananda said “No way, Krsna doesn’t drink coffee”.

 

Jayananda also brought out the best in every one, inspiring them through his own example. In one case, he made friends with an elderly lady who owned a flower shop. She would always ask “When is the next Janmashtami, Jimmy?” because she like to decorate the deities with flowers.

 

Every year in order to help get the permits for the San Francisco Rathayatra, he would bribe the city commissioners with loads of pies. There was one black lady on the city council who especially like “Jimmy” as he was known to them. One day, another devotee came to the council meeting to get the permits. This black lady asked “Where’s Jimmy?” and she was informed that Jayananda Prabhu had passed away from cancer just recently. The whole city council was so upset that they cancelled the rest of that days proceedings in his memory.

 

Anyways, I hope I told these well enough. Please feel free to add any that you have heard.

 

Gauracandra

 

Beautiful pastime, has anyone got anymore wonderful stories with the devotees of Lord Krsna?

[suchandra]

 

Beautiful pastime, has anyone got anymore wonderful stories with the devotees of Lord Krsna?

 

Newsletter of swami.org says,

 

Follow the Lead of a Devotee

 

posted 07 August 2008

 

"Always place oneself under the guidance of a higher Vaisnava. At times

this may not be a popular or easy thing to do, but it is certainly

imperative for spiritual advancement."

 

Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari

 

Q. I regularly read Sanga and find it very scholarly and free of envy

of other spiritual groups. However, a guru who belongs to another

organization initiated me, and your approach to the teachings is

somewhat different than his. Is this a problem?

 

A. I am happy to know that my writings have been helpful to you. Our

diksa guru connects us to the sampradaya of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by

initiating us into the chanting of Krsna nama and Krsna mantra. Within

Mahaprabhu's sampradaya there are many instructing (siksa) gurus

capable of helping us take advantage of the mantras imparted to us by

our diksa guru. While the instructions of gurus may vary regarding

details, they are one in principle, as they all teach the same subject,

love of Krsna.

 

My writing tends to focus on principles rather than on details. If

anything I write differs from details that you have heard from your

diksa guru, then I hope you will be mature enough to be able to sort

that out for yourself.

 

Q. What if a person has an attraction for an advanced Vaisnava other

than his own Guru?

 

A. It is not uncommon for a disciple initiated by one guru to develop

an affinity for another sadhu in the same lineage. In Gaudiya

Vaisnavism there is a long history of this, and we find instances of it

even among the eternal associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Two

prominent examples are Sri Raghunatha dasa and Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja

Goswami, who each developed deeper attachment to their siksa gurus than

to their diksa gurus. While respecting all of our teachers, we may be

drawn more to one than to another, and that guru or teacher will

naturally have a special place in our heart. We should follow our heart

to the extent that its attraction does not take us beyond the

parameters of scriptural advice.

 

Practically speaking, the most important guru is the one that helps us

the most. A truly qualified guru will be interested only in our

spiritual progress, nothing more. If our initiating guru sees that

another sadhu is better suited to help us, he or she will encourage us

to take advantage of that association. Of course, a disciple may become

attracted to another guru, or even a so-called guru, for less than

spiritual reasons. Therefore, the initiating guru may have to carefully

consider the matter before he or she blesses the disciple to take

guidance from another teacher on an ongoing basis.

 

In any event, the task before the disciple remains the same: always

place oneself under the guidance of a higher Vaisnava. At times this

may not be a popular or easy thing to do, but it is certainly

imperative for spiritual advancement. Spiritual progress develops over

many lifetimes of commitment. While there may seem to be greener

pastures elsewhere, we must make the best use of our present learning

environment regardless of any difficulties we are facing.

 

Q. I lost faith in my spiritual master and the institution that he

belongs to. Is there a proper way to end my relationship with him?

Should I give back the japa beads that he chanted upon and gave me?

 

A. Regardless of the shortcomings of someone who has helped us make

progress in spiritual life, it is important to be grateful. If we find

that for some reason we have to end a relationship with a particular

Vaisnava, we should begin by expressing gratitude for everything that

the devotee has done for us and all that we have gained under his or

her guidance. If one loses faith in one's diksa guru, what connection

remains? It is faith that ties the student to the teacher. Although

this faith is in one sense faith in scripture, it manifests in relation

to one who represents that scripture in a prominent way. If we find

over time that the guru for some reason does not represent the

scriptural conclusion, there is every possibility that we can find a

qualified siska guru to guide us. If, however, one's initiating guru

does not permit one to take guidance from such a qualified siksa guru,

it may be best to end one's relationship with such a guru, who may very

well be guilty of Vaisnava aparadha. If I were a student in such a

failed relationship, I would return the beads I received and explain my

reasoning for doing so.

 

Hopefully your loss of faith in one Vaisnava and the institution he is

affiliated with is not a loss of faith in the ideal of Gaudiya

Vaisnavism altogether. Of course, people can reject their gurus for the

wrong reasons, but I pray that this is not the case for you. I also

pray that you will continue your spiritual life under good guidance.

 

Q. Can a devotee who is not self-realized but who strictly follows the

instructions of scripture and his spiritual master become a diksa guru?

Would such a guru be able deliver his disciples by giving them the same

siksa he has received?

 

A. It is possible for an advanced devotee who is not yet perfected in

realization to serve in the capacity of guru. In this regard, Pujyapada

Sridhara Deva Goswami gave the following example of three types of

gurus: the first is a devotee who has two feet in the spiritual world

and extends one foot to the material world, the second is a devotee who

has one foot in the material world but has extended his or her other

foot to the spiritual world, and the third is a devotee who has two

feet in the material world but whose eyes are always looking to the

spiritual world.

 

Srila Sridhara Maharaja's description of three types of gurus roughly

corresponds with Sri Jiva Goswami's following description of three

types of maha bhagavatas (superlative devotees). The

bhagavat-parsada-deha-prapt is one who has attained his or her

spiritual body and is fully functioning within it. An example of this

type of devotee is Narada, who upon attaining perfection received his

vina and a suitable spiritual form from Bhagavan. The nirdhuta-kasaya

is one who is free from material desire but not yet perfect in terms of

the cultivation of love of God. An example of this kind of devotee is

Sukadeva Goswami, who although free from material desire (nirgrantha)

became interested in the lila of Krsna. The murcchita-kasaya is one who

is not entirely free from the influence of the mode of goodness (sattva

guna) but whose absorption in bhakti is such that any seed of material

desire that remains in his or her heart has no opportunity to fructify.

An example of this type of devotee is Narada before his realization was

perfect, who was blessed with Bhagavan's darsana, a blessing intended

to inspire him to perfect himself.

 

If one follows the sun fast enough one will always bask in its rays,

even though one has not yet attained the sun globe. Similarly, one who

proceeds steadily in the direction of prema, guided by a taste for

divine service, is always blessed by Bhagavan even though he or she has

yet to attain prema. Following the lead of such a devotee is a safe

course to take.

 

Q. Thank you so very much for your teachings and your books. I

particularly love your commentary on Bhagavad-gita. I am very

interested in becoming your student and perhaps being initiated. How

would I go about doing this?

 

A. Sri Rupa Goswami explains that to advance in Krsna consciousness

there are four things that should be in place. He writes:

 

gurupad asryam tasmat krsna diksadi siksanam visrambhena guroh seva

sadhu vartmanuvartanam

 

"One must take shelter of Sri Guru, receive diksa and siksa from him or

her, render faithful affectionate service to the guru, and follow the

path of the saints."

 

Taking shelter means that after hearing from the guru for some time,

the beginner or novice who has developed faith and affection for the

guru sincerely approaches him or her for initiation. During this period

the guru in turn considers the qualifications and sincerity of the

novice. If the guru feels that he or she is sincere, capable, and

willing to adhere to spiritual discipline, the guru will impart the

mantra (Krsna diksa) to the novice, explaining its significance along

with other relevant instructions (siksa). The initiate is then required

to render faithful affectionate service to the guru. Devotion to guru

and Krsna in the association of advanced devotees is what Sri Rupa is

referring to when he tells us to follow the path of the saints. Only

through such devoted service (bhakti) can the import of the mantra be

realized.

 

While details may vary, these principles from Sri Rupa form the

foundation of all bona fide guru-disciple relationships in the Gaudiya

Vaisnava sampradaya. Anyone desirous of making real progress in Krsna

bhakti should consider them carefully and take them to heart. The guru

manifests to the disciple though his or her words; being in the

physical presence of the guru is not always required. Therefore, those

interested in becoming my initiated students must first hear from me

for some time. This can be done by receiving my CD lectures through

Audarya Audio. You should also study my books and other Gaudiya

literature, as well as the Sanga archives posted on my website. If you

are inspired by my words and are ready as Sri Rupa says to follow the

path of the saints, then you can meet with me here at Audarya to

discuss initiation.

 

In any case, I am very pleased to hear that my commentary on the

Bhagavad-gita is helping you and that you are inspired to advance in

Krsna consciousness. Bless you for your interest in the path of Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I pray that by his grace, you will overcome all

obstacles and find shelter at the feet of a bona fide guru in the

Gaudiya sampradaya.

 

[For information about Audarya Audio, visit:

https://swami.c4.ixwebhosting.<wbr>com/store/asub.php